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The Wal Maze
Once, long ago in the history of Lagos, a Wal-Mart (not the current Kong Wal-Mart, but the predecessor) was opened within eyeshot of several well-traveled tourist locations in Lagos. Overnight, the tourism value of the region plummeted as Wal-Mart slashed prices and ruined the sightscapes of the nascent tourism industry in Nigeria, effectively ruining the local Chamber of Commerce's attempt at encouraging tourism in the area. The building was one of the larger structures built by Wal-Mart, even larger than their superstore in Teotihuacan, (old) Mexico (which had a similar effect on local tourism). The Wal-Mart continued to spread a wave of urban blight from its location, shutting down local shops and hiring workers for low pay and benefits, until (luckily) the Crash occurred and the building became mostly abandoned. The building remained as a mostly hollowed-out concrete shell, a grim reminder of the ability of capitalism to pave over the hopes and dreams of mankind, until it was bought out by a local warlord who saw the need for temporary housing in the Surulere district. He had the "bright" idea of turning the Walmart into a coffin motel. The building was renovated to become one of the largest coffin motels in the world, potentially housing upon completion over 15,000 individuals (which would have been larger than the largest coffin motel in Japan, near the Neo-Tokyo International Airport). The construction was never completed, however. Enough facilities were finished to house 3,000 individuals at a time, but bizarre problems such as spirit manifestations, toxic utilities, and in one case, a small meteorite strike plagued the project. The warlord was deposed forcefully by a .50 caliber bullet, and the ownership was turned over to unmotivated and superstitious investors. During this time, it was noted by a local magic scholar upon staying a night in the coffin motel that the area had an unusually high background count. It still remained a mostly clean and safe tenement available for a decent price, if you were looking to stay overnight. This changed with the Crash 2.0. The investors had recently finished further renovations and were about to rebrand the location as a modern SOTA coffin motel when the Crash 2.0 locked over 5,000 residents inside. Explosions rocked the building, turning the winding hallways into a veritable labyrinth the likes of which had only been seen in ridiculous contrived video games. The security measures and safety protocols designed to keep danger out had sealed the people within. It is said that after this disaster, the investors all promptly committed suicide (although this seems highly unlikely). In an odd twist of fate, the whitewashed paint wore off to reveal the concrete underneath and the letters "Wal-Ma" were clearly visible from where the company logo used to be. The locals refer to the building as the "Wal Maze" and associate the building with many of the taboos that surround the Surulere region as a whole. Even with all of these problems, the Wal Maze is still up and running. There are rumors that a colony of ghouls live within, feasting on the perfectly preserved remains of the residents who were trapped within when Crash 2.0 occurred. Other rumors say that there is a whole village of people trapped inside, who subsist on perfectly functioning utilities inside, preserved tins of Spam and Treat, and occasional cannibalism. Others talk of legends of paydata and fine treasures that were left behind by the unfortunates who stayed overnight at the Wal Maze. Mages who venture near find themselves racked with a high background count and most Awakened find that even spirits avoid the area.